Introduction
Jamaican government has been striving to facilitate rural development in the country through its various organizations, among which The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is the most important one. Jamaica has given higher emphasis to rural development since 1990 with intent to foster the overall economic growth of the economy. In 1964, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in its publication Rural Development in Jamaica indicated the impeded rural advancements as a major issue affecting the country’s development. The report also identified other factors like soil erosion, capital shortage, and labored access to local groups and Government as some potential factors affecting rural development. Evidences suggest that RADA has been the key institute of change in Jamaica that can influence and direct advancement in economic growth.
What is RADA?
The Jamaican government has initiated several public awareness campaigns in order to propagate the thought that Jamaicans should look towards rural development as a means of fostering economic growth. Such public awareness campaigns are comprehensive efforts that can reach the target population effectively. RADA was established in 1990 with the enactment of RADA Act of 1990. According to the act, RADA is entitled to provide the farmers with competent agricultural extension services. RADA is also expected to participate in the planning and implementation of right rural development projects. RADA will also stimulate and facilitate agriculture by enhancing financial and other resources at the disposal of the authority. Finally, it will ensure that the land is properly and economically utilized in the rural areas.
Three Major Roles
1. Areas of critical focus
RADA has clearly acknowledged women and youth in agriculture as significant areas for strategic focus. Recently, RADA has worked with 98 women's group. The ongoing training programs cover “areas of micro, rural and urban agribusiness enterprises management and product development “, and, RADA “also provides ongoing marketing support through its AgriMart franchise” (Fulton, 2013). AgriMart franchises (located in Kingston) is a notable outlet established by RADA for the promotion of various rural agro-processing groups.
2. Capacity building
RADA gives higher emphasis to increasing the administrative and technical potential of the organization in order to guarantee its authenticity. It maintains that administrative and technical excellence is essential to provide technical and extension services to the farmers. This will be an added advantage to the organization in its efforts to develop crop and livestock production and to welcome new entrants including women and youth to the agriculture sector. It also gives intensive training to the staff and farmers on various programs like the drought alleviation projects and the climate adaptation projects.
3. Providing marketing intelligence and extension services
RADA is the most important rural development and agricultural extension agency in Jamaica. It provides services to the farmers and farmer groups across the country on multiple areas including “husbandry, plant health and safety, post harvest techniques and on-farm irrigation” (Hunter, 2015). As per records, the organization has “over 170,000 registered farmers, 98 extension officers, 60 agricultural assistants, 14 marketing officers, 13 social services and home economics officers and five livestock officers” (Hunter, 2015).
Three Successful Initiatives
RADA has been playing the key role in all rural agricultural endeavors in Jamaica for the past few decades making several remarkable success stories in the sector. As per records, the programs of RADA have been directly impacting approximately 30,000 farmers. RADA, over the fiscal year 2012-2013 completed several initiatives and interventions which have benefited many agriculturists, including female farmers and farm families like the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (JNRWP) (Fulton). RADA implements mini-exposition, agricultural shows and Farmers day, which involves multiple agricultural showcases and exhibitions. They also trained 15,940 Farmers, and held 4,361 training sessions across Jamaica to foster development in the rural industry.
1. Farmer market & other initiatives
RADA has the history of staging farmers’ markets successfully. RADA set up a farmers market in Portland, Port Antonio in 2011, which assisted 45 farmers from Portland to sell carrots, cabbage and potatoes accounting for roughly $1.5 million turnover (Bailey, 2011). RADA jointly works with other governmental agencies to ensure that its projects are well accessible to farmers across the country. National Irrigation Commission LTD, which intends “to enable improvement in agricultural productivity, production and prosperity through the provision of reliable, efficient and affordable irrigation”, is an example (National Irrigation Commission Limited, 1986).
2. Social Media Marketing
RADA has adopted more cost effective and modern tools to spread its message. Recently, the organization has employed the use of social media and other web-based platforms to assist farmers in their agricultural efforts. For instance, RADA uses its Facebook and Twitter pages to interact with the farmers. Farmers today are able to upload photos of diseased plants on the pages and ask questions directly to extension officers. Online campaigns have been found effective and useful in RADA’s promotional efforts. The organization is committed to improving famers’ life and occupation. As the faculties of RADA indicate, in the near future, the organization will deploy the use of text and voicemail messages to interact with farmers and to intensify its training programs (Pink, 2011). The RADA officers today are equipped with a laptop and other technologies when they are in the field, and this clearly indicates the organization’s interesting in employing technology in agricultural sector.
3. Bammy project
Bammy project is another successful RADA sponsored initiative. It started more than 12 years ago and caters for the domestic and foreign markets. According to records, it has recorded an average turnover of $2 million per year; and the project created “nearly two million bammies in the last 12 years” (Cummings, 2002). The success could be clearly attributed to the full-fledged technical assistance given by RADA to the Flower Hill bammies for the past several years.
Governmental control
The Jamaican government gives fund to RADA and its various projects on time to enhance its smooth operation. To be specific, the minister responsible for finance advances fund to the authority (RADA) from the amounts provided by the parliament for the operation of the organization (Rural Agricultural Development Authority Act, 9 (1). ). It also employs the governmental machinery to monitor the operation of the organization. The ministry of agriculture ensures that the organization works well in terms of extended services and agricultural promotion.
Conclusion
In total, Agriculture is deemed as the path used to cater to the basic need of Jamaican population in the context of urbanization and the growing need for adequate food supply. RADA has been working as the backbone of rural agricultural sector in Jamaica for the past several years. RADA has contributed a lot to the overall economic growth of the country by giving higher emphasis to technology-assisted agriculture. Jamaican farmers have easy access to RADA professionals because of the organization’s online presence and modern interactive systems. With regard to farmer training programs, RADA has trained 15,940 Farmers, and has held 4,361 training sessions across Jamaica to foster development in the rural industry.
References
Bailey, A. G. (24, March, 2011). RADA stages successful Farmers’ Market in Portland. Jamaica Information Service. Retrieved from http://jis.gov.jm/rada-stages-successful-farmers-market-in-portland/
Cummings, M. (Feb 9, 2002). JSIF funds bammy project. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/21031_JSIF-funds-bammy-project
Fulton, L. (June 9, 2013). RADA's Role In Agro Development. The Gleaner. Retrieved from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130609/cleisure/cleisure2.html
Hunter, J. A. (Feb 13, 2015). RADA to Build Capacity in 2015. Jamaica Information Service. Retrieved from http://jis.gov.jm/rada-build-capacity-2015/
National Irrigation Commission Ltd. (1986). Corporate Vision/mission. Retrieved from http://www.nicjamaica.com/about-us/corporate-vision-mission/
Pink, P. (August 15, 2011). RADA's Mission To Polish Agriculture's Image. The Gleaner. Retrieved from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/power/31054
Rural Agricultural Development Authority Act. Retrieved from http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/jam70783.pdf
